North
by Ghost Memory
Summary: When Larisse leaves home she's given a mission: to restore the legendary Pokemon and mend the rifts between the world to prevent a cataclysmic displacement. She travels to Kalos, following the footsteps of her mother to become a Champion while her father remains behind dwelling on ghosts of the past. The road to disaster is paved with good intentions.
1. Prologue: Halcyon

He clutched the disk to his chest tightly. The edges were charred and thin, spiderweb-like cracks adorned the insides of the technology. It had been under extreme heat to look that way, such was certain. Tinted a purple-red hue in the light of the moon it looked like a sad memory; a forever-reminder of something gone horribly wrong. Or perhaps it was right? The answer was not so clear anymore.

 _"Do you remember what I said that time? About displacement?"_

 _"That one thing takes the place of another? Sometimes violently in certain situations, if I recall. You seemed adamant that I remember it could be in a bad way."_

 _"Yes. Good. Thanks for paying attention to me so much. I tend to space out and I know it must be annoying."_

 _"Well, do_ you _remember what I told you that night?"_

 _"That night under the stars?"_

 _"Yes, that night. If you already know what it is I'm going to say then...I'd have you know that nothing you do could ever annoy me. Well, other than when you put bows in his fur. He looks ridiculous."_

 _"He loves it! I mean it's not like I'm making him sleep through the process! Perhaps he just does it to annoy you - the fact that he likes it at all..."_

 _"What is it? It's not like you to be so quiet."_

 _"I- I just...I just wanted to be under the same sky as you again. Looks like we were both thinking about that night after all. It's nice to see you. Your eyes. You always had the prettiest eyes - especially for a guy, haha. Sometimes I get lost and feel like I can't find my way out. That's really cheesy but I can't think of any other way to say it."_

 _"I understand and...well, when I don't know where to look...I always look at you. You know that. All I could want from you is just for you to be yourself. You said that you weren't sure where your light was. Did you ever find it? The thing you look for when you don't know where to look at all? You're acting like you're searching for something right now when you look at me."_

 _"Guess I'm easy to read, huh? My light is...I'm pretty sure it's in between. That's why I can't see it. But really...I don't want you to rely on me like that. You're so smart and full of confidence. Do you really need to look at me? I feel as though my light pales in comparison."_

 _"You told me we all have a north star. Something we look to when we don't know where we are in the world. And all I know is that when I don't know where I am, all I need to do is take one look at you. And then it all comes back to me. I want you to feel the same thing for yourself. If I'm not your star...I want to help you find it. In my eyes you deserve it more than anyone. You give so much to the world. Why is it you don't ask for anything in return? We all want you to be happy just as much as you want us to be happy."_

 _"Your happiness...all of you. It matters so much to me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."_

 _"Wait. What- What is it? Why are you crying!? I'm right here! I'm not going anywhere! Please just...please stop. Don't cry. Did I say something stupid? I never meant to hurt you. I could never hurt you...shhh. It's all right. Just tell me what's wrong. Please let me help you."_

 _"That's the difference between us, you know._.. _I could hurt you. I'm afraid I'm going to..."_

"That night you lost your eyes..." The young man trailed off quietly. He held the disc to his chest still after the memory, fingers clutching it tightly yet loosely enough so that it did not break. Stars littered the sky and twinkled brightly. The air was crisp and cool, but nights in Alola were rarely so cold. He couldn't see his breath but he wished he could - seeing a part of him affecting the world that she had tried so desperately to save that it had cost her everything. It had cost him everything, too. His breath trailing the air would be one single shred of proof that he existed in this place. It symbolized that existence. After all, it could all fade away just as quickly as it manifested.

"Where do I look, now? It's so dark without you here. But even when you couldn't see you always knew where to look. Where it was you had to go." His eyes turned towards the bright disk of the moon. Its baleful white light shining down as if to mock him and prove that he didn't need her to see the light. It was right there, steady and constant and always providing. But it wasn't what he was searching for. This light was seen by everyone equally. It wasn't special to him. Not in the way that he wanted it to be.

He curled up on the ground, folding in on himself to try and be as small as possible. The moon and the stars were still shining, but in the fold of his arms there was darkness. The world outside should reflect how you feel inside, right? Why did it have to keep spinning when a part of him felt like it had stayed behind, frozen in time years ago? He couldn't make anyone see how he felt because no one had ever seen it and none could see it now. It was gone. Now it would be dark for him, too. The shadows cast by her light was all that hung around him now. Sleepless nights filled with the terror of seeing it all replay itself over and over again like some song on repeat filled him with an unending sense of dread.

But she could still see. Using this disc he held clutched tightly in his hand she was able to break through that darkness with the strength of her companion and the belief of those who wanted to see her change the world like she had promised. She wanted to fix some fatal flaw that could end everything, and she did so because she alone understood how to.

He couldn't go back so he had to move forward. Standing again, eyes clear, he looked to the moon and matched its stare. The field of gently flowing grass around him faded away until he felt as if he were in the sky. His eyes found the north star and all the rest melted away. This night was for himself, the moon, and that one star. He'd find a way to make it all right. Even if it took him until his last breath vanished from the atmosphere.

Bringing himself back to earth with a renewed sense of purpose, he tucked the burnt disc in the pocket of his dark jacket. It was a Memory, like the one they had shared that night but unlike it at the same time. It was what she had used to 'see.' A constant reminder that she had been real, it remained by his side. Soon he'd have to part with another piece of her. It would be hard but if he was going to fix himself, he had to let go. He clenched his fist at the thought, then let out the tension as it gently unwound and dropped to his side.

He trudged slowly down off the grassy hill and back to a nearby familiar dirt path. The night sang with memories and dark promises as the tall shadows of palm trees swallowed his figure from sight.

* * *

The grass made a soft rusting in the morning breeze as the sun began to rise high. It shone down beautifully on everything, making it all glow after the rain from the previous night. Drops of water adorned the leaves like jewelry made from the sky itself, and the light dirt began to bake and dry up quickly around it. The earth here was taken care of well by the people and the Pokemon who inhabited the land, but it also took care of itself in that special, magical way.

The flash of yellow among the green grass betrayed a young girl as she ran past. She wore a straw hat with a pastel pink ribbon that swayed in the breeze. A bright yellow sundress billowed behind her as her sandaled feet sped through the underbrush. Avoiding the path, the girl ran towards the mouth of a cave at the top of a hill. The path there was adorned with carved stone faces that seemed very war-like; as if they wanted to scare away anyone with ill intent. She paused at the entrance, brushing away a long curly brown strand of hair from her face and catching her breath before walking carefully into the darkness.

Usually she wasn't allowed up here. Her father was very protective of her and tried to keep her close to home. But she had a friend who only liked to play here in this lonely place and she wanted to visit them all the time. She would if she could get away more often. The thought of doing something that she wasn't supposed to gave her the thrill of adventure and danger that she wanted. She ran past the entrance and held out a hand as she adjusted to the darkness. There were holes in the cave roof, but a lot of them were covered by the thick canopy of leaves above. Some light came in here and there, and on the smooth dirt floor little plants grew where it touched. They reached for the light like she had reached into the dark earlier. As if they just wanted a little bit more to get used to what it was like.

In the back of the cave was a set of dual stairs that led to another carved stone statue. This one was fierce and much more detailed. The mouth was curled into a vicious snarl and it looked like it was reared to charge forward. She stood in front of it, unafraid as she had been here many times before. Turning around to face the room, she clapped her hands.

"Kokooooooo! I wanna play! Come out!"

At first there was the usual pause. It was a bit like when the power would go out during the island storms. All that noise and hum of electricity you could hear in the back of your mind just cut out and left you with a much more pure silence. Then suddenly a response came in the form of a loud crowing sound. The air became charged as it shimmered and ripped open. The world came back to life and before her was a Pokemon. It was mostly yellow on its shielded arms with a black torso and orange tufts on its head like the plume of a rooster. Intense turquoise eyes searched hers, and the hairs on her arms stood up from its close proximity to her. But there was something special about her, and this would be vital to what was to come. She just didn't yet know what was in store for her. The Pokemon lowered itself down to her from where it had floated just above, eyes searching her expression with a wild sense of impatience.

 _"Hello, Larisse."_


	2. Chapter 1: Who You Were

"I don't know why you think it's a good idea to take so little," an exasperated voice chided.

A young woman brushed a lock of curly brown hair from her eyes, standing back up from placing her bags on the floor. Her green eyes flashed with affectionate annoyance. "I am _so_ not letting you pack for me, dad."

He sighed. His daughter was a lot like her mother had been at that age. Both were very headstrong and insisted on having things be the way they envisioned. And since she insisted on leaving he knew he was hovering too much. She felt stifled here he knew, and work at the Foundation wasn't for her. She was going to need the space that her own journey would bring her, but after all that had happened to them as a family he found it so hard to let her go. She'd likely just run off if he tried stopping her anyhow. He walked over to her and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "Make sure you go let Hau know you're heading to the docks soon. He's going to want to see you off, too."

"Yeah, yeah," she smiled up at him hesitantly. She slug a backpack onto her shoulders and headed for the door with speed, waving as she closed it behind her. The sound of her hurried footfalls could be heard pattering on the dirt path as they faded off into the distance.

He rubbed his hand on the side of his face and let out a gusty breath. Shaking his head, he picked up the bags and put them closer to the door. The urge to go through them and maybe add some things was incredibly strong, but he resisted. It was far too likely that she would notice any changes, and he didn't want her to be cross with him before she left. It was a big moment for her and he wanted to show her that he trusted her judgement. But the Kalos region was far across the sea and it would be some time before they saw one another again other than at the PC comms in Pokemon Centers. He had already bothered her enough about remembering to call while she was away.

Heading over to the fireplace, he picked up a dusty Pokeball that sat atop it. It seemed incredibly innocuous and it contained no Pokemon inside. There was no reason for anyone to be suspicious of it, but he had been keeping it safe at the request of someone special. He clicked the button and opened it. Inside was a simple note that read, _"Save for the right time."_ He smiled, his bright green eyes lighting up in the afternoon sun streaming through the window. His daughter thought that she had hidden her connection with the Pokemon this ball was connected to fairly well but he had been watching carefully. Her mother had been right about her ability, and he couldn't think of a better time or a better person to pass it off to. It was meant for her, after all.

* * *

"Larisse! Hey come on over here I've got a present for you!" a voice called to the young woman as she jogged up the dusty path towards the house. It was styled in the old way of the islands and colored exotically with waving designs and intricate patterns hand-carved into the wood. Her long curly brown hair waved behind her as she ran, tickling the back of her elbows. The trip would be windy so she knew she would have to tie it up before she left, but for now it was nice to feel the tropic breeze on her face. Where she was going wasn't nearly as warm and fresh from what she had researched. Her father had insisted upon her looking up everything online. It made her roll her bright green eyes every time he hovered over her like that, and thinking about it now made her puff up her cheeks. Maybe she'd dye her hair when she was gone just because it would get a reaction from him...

She ran up to the man the voice belonged to, giving him a tackling hug. He was incredibly tough regardless of how hard she had hit him; like a pillar that smelled of sandalwood and sunshine. "I'm gonna miss you the most you know!" she teased, releasing him and giving him a gentle punch.

The flat of his fist caught her hand easily and he put on a mock frown. "Now, you can't pick favorites you know, even if I am way more fun than your father," he said with a wink. "Come on inside! I have something here for you."

Ushering Larisse into the open doorway, she held out her hand towards the dark. It was both an instinct of hers to keep her from crashing into something, but also something that she had seen her mother do sometimes. It had become a habit to try and mimic her mannerisms to Larisse, even if she wasn't sure what they actually meant. Everyone remembered their childhoods differently after all. It was easy to romanticize something as simple as a hand gesture.

As her eyes adjusted she got a better view of the interior. So often she had played here as a child while her father worked. It was likely that she had spent more time here than her own home. The training ring outside was a favorite place of hers where she could battle with Hau and the other kids, but she loved to play inside with Primarina and Hau's other Pokemon. The wooden floor showed signs of this history; crayon and marker streaks on the floor in the corner she liked to draw in and old pictures hanging on the walls. There were also markers showcasing how tall she was during certain years of her life with little dates scrawled next to them. There was a large blue and white mat on the floor in the center with a small wooden table off to the side, but other than those and a TV the rest of it was sparsely furnished. After all, the owner spent much more time with the people of the town; spending time with them and their children or heading out to the tropics to deal with any disturbances from wild Pokemon.

"Over here," he said, his voice coming from another room.

Larisse followed the sound into a small lab room off to the side. They had added it on for Lillie a while ago, and usually Larisse hadn't been allowed inside. It wasn't the sterile white of the Aether Labs, but rather warm and full of lighter earthen colors. More pictures adorned the walls and plants dotted the corners, some floral and many with long curling limbs that crept along the floor and shelves. Heavy lab equipment occupied one wall, and a large PC sat on a table with some floral stickers dotted on the sides of the tower. The clicker on the mouse was well-worn and shiny, and the screensaver was a picture of Hau giving her father a good hard noogie. It was a bit blurry - likely because Lillie had been laughing at her brother while it was taken. His face read as annoyed, but there was a smile in his bright green eyes. Another woman stood behind them, a hand up to her face trying to stifle a laugh. Larisse smiled at the image of all of them together. She wished her father could be like that now, but he was always so serious and insisting that he didn't have the time to spend...

Hau handed her a set of discs. "I know that Amiium can't use these yet, but Lillie had wanted me to give them to you when you left." He placed them in her open hand. The holster for them was small and square and made of a matte white plastic that was somewhat soft to help protect its contents. She was familiar with the Memory Discs. Silvally liked using the fire one, and her mother had been known to use the Ghost one after her accident. Larisse still couldn't remove Amiium's control mask though: as he would become uncontrollable and attack anything he saw as a threat. She was a bit scared of trying after the many times she had so far.

"I don't know if we'll ever be ready," she said hesitantly. The case warmed in her hand, the afternoon sun streaking in through the window and illuminating it. "How did they do it? Mom I can understand but dad...he doesn't really seem like he could."

Hau folded her hands together, leaning down slightly to be on her level. His dark eyes met hers, full of seriousness. "Your father more than earned Silvally's trust," he said sternly. "Don't talk like that. You _know_ that already." He stood up, rubbing his neck. "Gladion is a good man," he admitted. When Larisse smiled at him he immediately backpedaled, "Don't you dare tell him I said that!" he laughed.

Larisse thanked him for the Discs. "If I see Lillie I'll be sure to say 'hi' for you, Uncle!" She tossed the words over her shoulder with a big thumbs-up as she ran back down the hill towards her house. Primarina was lying on a rock out in the sunshine. When the Pokemon saw Larisse run by, she let out a faint misting spray of water and clapped her flippers together in greetings. Larisse waved and kept going, the earth kicking up dust beneath her sandaled feet. She could hear the Pokemon rustling in the grass on the alternate path, and it tempted her to rush down the steep ledges and try to capture them. But Amiium wasn't with her at the moment, so it wouldn't be safe to pick a fight. Her Type: Null was currently resting in the Pokemon Center after a battle the night before. She had wanted to make sure he was in the best health for the trip.

Her father was standing outside the house when she got back. He was actually wearing fairly normal clothes for once which surprised her. She was used to his lab coat and pristine garments, but for some reason he had on an old dark shirt. She had never seen it before, but then again there was a side of him she really never got to know very well personally. As she approached she saw it in his face - the demeanor he had when her mother was with them hovered around him like a transparent wispy cloak. Her hopes rose tentatively, but his eyes were still dull. It wasn't entirely what she had seen in the picture on Aunt Lillie's computer, but it looked like he had made an effort. His skin was paler than Larisse's even as she came to notice, likely because of how often he spent under the research facility at Aether. It made her sad for reasons she couldn't explain. She just wanted her father back to the way he was before. But it had been so long she doubted it was going to happen, even today.

His arms folded, he unwound and held out a hand to her. Clutched loosely in his grasp was an old Pokeball. The surface was a bit faded from the sunlight, and she remembered it as the one that sat on the mantelpiece in the living room. "This is yours." He placed it gently in her hand. Much like when she had gotten the Discs from Hau that Lillie had been keeping she was slightly hesitant to take it at first. "I know what you're up to."

She tried to hide a little spike of surprise that gave her goosebumps. It was one of those times when you feel like the world is spinning really fast because you stood up too quickly, but very brief. "You mean-"

"Larisse, we _all_ know." He smiled, and this time it reached his eyes slightly. "Why do you think the Tapu would hide anything from the Kahuna? Hau told me a long time ago."

"If you knew then- then- Why didn't you keep me from seeing him!?" Larisse finally began to let out the pent-up frustration inside her. She hadn't realized how angry she really had always been with her father's over-protective nature, but now that the only thing she thought she'd kept safe from his gaze was staring her plainly in the face she felt betrayed. "Why do you care!? You've _never_ cared what I wanted!" It was an irrational burning anger that set her teeth on edge. "Why do you keep treating me like I'm a little girl!? You never tried to act like my father and here you are now, suddenly trying to stop me-"

He put a hand on her shoulder, glaring at her. Both of them had always had short tempers, and she remembered how he had argued with her over this many times before. Even Hau raised his voice when they got into it, especially when Larisse was involved. His superior logic always seemed to win the day, and most just gave up trying to convince him of their side. "I'm not trying to stop you!" he hissed. "If I was, why do you think that - after all this time knowing - I wouldn't have made sure you didn't leave at all!?"

Suddenly his arms were around her. She was taken by surprise by the act, staring straight forward and stiffening. They stood there for a moment, the only sound being the wind and the waves and their angry swift heartbeats. She broke down first, seeming to lose all the tension that had been built up inside her. She slid down into the dust, with her father gently lowering her. She hugged him back tightly, tears crowding her eyes. Her chest felt like the only thing holding her together; tightly pulling on her and making it hard to breathe. "I want to be able to let you go." His voice cracked on the last word, and she sensed his anger was gone. He leaned back, arms still around her and met her eyes. Green on green. "This is Tapu Koko's Pokeball."

She held it up in surprise. She could easily speak with the island guardian. Tapu Koko and herself had been friends since she was very young, but the Pokemon had never confessed to having been captured. The truth of why Amiium was in the Pokemon Center was that they had been sparring like they usually did. The Tapu was much too strong, but he and Amiium were good friends and they never tried to get too rough. The guardian had even protected her from one of Amiium's rampages when she had tried to remove his control mask. It had been hard to hide it all this time, and she was disappointed that in all honesty it had been pointless. Larisse let out a little humorless laugh. "Who captured him?" she managed to say.

Gladion smiled genuinely this time. "Your mother did."

They stood up together, standing a bit awkwardly. Even as a family they weren't sure what to do in the presence of one another due to unfamiliarity. Her father scratched his head and sighed. "I know how you feel about me," he said flatly. "I felt the same way about my mother for...well, for a long time."

It was strange hearing that about her grandmother. Lusamine was a very gentle person, but she seemed really distant. Her father had kept her grudgingly away from her grandmother for reasons Larisse didn't understand. He always seemed incredibly wary when Lillie had talked about her. This usually caused Lillie to stamp her foot down and berate him for being childish and close-minded. Her aunt was the only one who could call him something like that without receiving a verbal lashing in retaliation.

"He wants to go with you, doesn't he?"

The question startled Larisse. True, he had said he knew Larisse's plan, but she had forgotten what that would mean. It had happened too fast for her to think of any punishment waiting for her. "He doesn't think he's good enough to protect the island," she admitted.

To her surprise, her father nodded. "Tapu Koko is very proud. After what happened with the Ultra Beasts I imagine his power was put into perspective." He sighed heavily. The sun was still high in the sky, and she wasn't leaving for a couple hours yet. But it was fast approaching. "He asked that your mother fight him, and eventually she overpowered him and even captured him." He laughed. "She captured a Tapu. One of the ancient guardians of Alola. She was always something else, even back when she became the first Champion." The green in his eyes was clear for once. She always loved hearing stories about her mother. "When we were attacked again, Tapu Koko was defeated and she and Amigento stood as our defense. Silvally and I helped but we were also bested. That must've been hard - seeing everything that you care for under threat and being unable to defend it."

He looked back at her, "Your mother refused to train him. She said she wasn't the one who could give him the power he wanted. When you were young, she gave me that Pokeball to hold on to. She was sure you were special. That you were what he was looking for. Seeing you grow up and plan this with the island guardian in secret? That's impressive honestly!" Larisse stared in wonder at this person. This was the side of her father she never got to see. The one in the pictures. The one who cared about more than the welfare of the world; the one that cared about his family that Hau had cautioned her about earlier. "It proved to me that she might have been right."

"You mean...you guys are gonna let us go?" she cautioned.

"There's something I need you to do. And I can't trust anyone to protect you better than the guardian deity, right?"

"What do you mean? What do you need me to do?"

"Come inside. I have something I need to show you."


End file.
